lamb, chevre & mushrooms...at kitchen! kitchen!

It is always a disaster for me to have a gourmet store near my workplace - a good disaster that is! This hole in a wall place is just laden with a lot of goodies like baked goods, cheeses, prepared food, sandwiches, meat, fish, poultry, an assortments of pate's, cold cuts, sausages, etc. Well, time to treat myself for some goodies. I was craving for my favorite cheese brand "Florette" - a goat brie, soft, smooth and a very flavorful ripened cheese. I just can't resist that little darling. Of course I did not stop there. Got a wedge of Montasio (Italian cheese/made from cow's milk) and Istara (100% sheep's milk cheese - to die for!). Great on crackers or bread or on any surface for that matter. An absolute perfection with a glass of good wine. Lovely, lovely, lovely! So coming home after work, I have a package of ground lamb thawing in the fridge. Hmmm, what else to do with this other than making it into a lamb meatball or lamb burger. Why don't I just up the lamb burger to another level????!!!!....

A package of ground lamb
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh dill
2 finely minced garlic
1 large shallots finely chopped
1 egg (to bind)
Amazing dry rub for seasoning
Small pieces of the Florette goat cheese cut in small squares
Olive oil for browning
Combine and mix thoroughly all of the above except for the cheese.
Scoop up about 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of the lamb mixture, flatten it on your palm and tuck in 2 pcs. of the cheese squares and enclosed completely shaping it like an oval.
On a large skillet with olive oil brown the "burger" on all sides and continue cooking in a 350F preheated oven for another 15 minutes until cooked through. Don't worry if the some of the cheese ozzies out. That's the fun of it. Transfer to a serving platter cushioned with some greens.
Using the same pan add a tablespoon of butter and sautee some chopped garlic, shallots, and add a pint of sliced baby portabella mushrooms; a splash of white wine, and let simmer until the wine evaporates and the mushrooms are cooked.
Pour over the "lamb burger" throw in some pieces of the wonderful cheese and serve with boiled baby potatoes or rice. Have a great red wine to go with your dinner and enjoy!